How to Hook Up Surround Sound to a TV With a DirecTV Box

Connecting your DirecTV box to surround sound is an easy and straightforward process. It does not matter if you have a Direct TV sound bar setup or any other audio system. You will need to simply determine which cable is the correct choice for connecting the audio to the receiver box and make the connection using the proper ports. In some cases, an older audio system will require an adapter to make the connection between the receiver box and the audio.

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Plan First

Planning the connection is the first step, to ensure you have the proper cords. You also must plan for the placement of your system to determine the cord length you'll need. Begin by planning your speaker placement, then measure the cord length needed to reach the speaker from the box. Add an extra foot to be safe and to account for any angles or curves. It's better to make a safe measurement and buy a longer cord than one that is ultimately too short. Hiding the cord along the floor or on a crease in the wall or ceiling can also take more cord than your original measurement suggested. A solid initial plan will save you trips to the store and will make your DirecTV surround sound setup much easier.

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Direct TV Hook Up

Connecting to your speaker system is always done with audio cables. Your DirecTV box is connected to the TV with an HDMI and it also connects to your internet via Ethernet cord or your WiFi router. The box transmits everything to the television and you can hook up your speakers to the TV or the port on your box. Using the box routes audio through the speakers directly rather than using the television speakers. You need a functioning Direct TV hook up to transmit anything so make sure your account is activated and the box is live before testing your audio system. As with any audio hookup, you will connect the black audio jack to your "Audio Out" port on the speaker control. You will then connect the color coded white and red jacks to the corresponding color coded ports on your box or television. In most cases, you will run them through the television to easily accept audio that is already being fed through the TV. If your box is built with an audio port however, you can hook directly to the box.

Test the System

Everything will function on separate controls. Ideally, you will program a remote to turn on your speakers, television and box with one button. Otherwise, you must turn on each unit separately. When everything is on, turn up the volume on your speakers to ensure they are functioning. When properly connected, they should have no issue projecting sound.